Muratina is a crisp, sour, fruit flavoured Kikuyus' traditional brew made by fermenting Muratina fruit with water, honey, sugar and sugarcane juice. It has an alcoholic odor and is common in Central Kenya among the Kikuyu Community and has been passed from generations to generations where brewers learn the art or magic of making it from years of watching elders.
Muratina in a Calabash 'Kinya'
It is named after a fruit that comes from a wild tree commonly known as the "Sausage tree" due to its long, sausage like shape of the fruit which is highly poisonous when eaten raw unless boiled or roasted. The tree is scientifically known as Kigelia Africana and grows in river banks, wet areas and food plains in African countries such as Kenya, Cameroon, Senegal, Guinea, Tanzania, Chad, Eritrea, South Africa and Namibia. In Kenya it is found in Central and Western Kenya.
Among Kikuyu Community, the tree is neither planted nor cut by any human as traditionalists believe it is planted by God 'Ngai' or 'Mwene Nyaga'.
Sausage "Muratina' tree
To brew it, the ripe fruit that have fallen on the ground is used as it is a taboo for one to pick the fruit from the tree which results to severe consequences such as weak shaking hands. The fruits are cut into pieces and dried under the sun after which they are boiled in water before being sun dried or vice versa. Then the fruits are fermented with maize flour for few days before being washed and sun dried again. Then they are added to a mixture of water, sugar, sugar cane juice and honey and kept in a warm place to ferment for few days. It is fermented in an air tight Muratina Can 'ndua'.
Muratina is put in a Calabash 'Kinya' and served in cow horns 'Ruhia'. While drinking one is neither allowed to add brew in Ruhia before emptying it or put it down as putting it down is a sign that one is satisfied and ready to go home. Once Kinya' is opened it is also not closed unless all the brew is drunk or everyone is satisfied. Also, there's a methodology of holding the 'Kinya' as well as the procedure followed in serving the drink with any mistake fined by a goat. One also has to pour some brew on the ground before drinking in honour of ancestral spirits 'Ngumi' for one to receive blessings from them.
Ruhia
Muratina is used in all Kikuyu Community social, cultural and traditional events such as births, initiations, marriages, dowry, mugithi nights, etc and always completes the occasion. Most Kikuyus likes it with their traditional roasted goat meat 'nyama choma'. Brewing and drinking Muratina during traditional ceremonies in Kenya is legal as law recognizes Muratina brew as part of Kikuyu traditional custom as Kiambu Court earlier ruled that the Constitution of Kenya protects the cultures of all tribes in Kenya and no law created can infringe upon those cultural practices.
Kikuyu elder tastes a Muratina brew during dowry 'Ruracio'
"Kikuyu Community have to celebrate their traditional rites of passage through various ways and Muratina must form part of the celebrations,” Kiambu Court ruled.
This came after Kikuyu Elder and Custodian Njoroge Wa Kimani advised Kikuyu Community to avoid Sodas and bottled beer during dowry and turn to Muratina, sour porridge, soup or water. If sodas and bottled bear must be taken, he advised the community to use it far from where the ceremony is being conducted.
Some of the health benefits of Muratina is that it is a stress relieving therapy, herbal and improve firmness and elasticity of skin making one to have a younger beautiful skin. Maybe probably Muratina is the tree God had planted at the center of Garden of Eden.
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